News / Air and sea gateways ready for Hurricane Helene's landfall

Picture: NOAA

Gateways across Florida have shuttered in advance of Hurricane Helene’s expected imminent landfall, with airports and ports in Alabama and Georgia operating under contingencies.

Meteorologists at the US National Hurricane Center advised earlier today that Helene was making its “expected turn” towards the southern states bringing it to the Florida coast either later today or early tomorrow morning.

US National Hurricane Center

“A catastrophic and deadly storm surge is likely along portions of the coast, where inundation could reach up to 20ft above ground level, along with destructive waves,” the center said.

“There is also a danger of life-threatening storm surge along the remainder of the west coast of the Florida Peninsula. Residents in those areas should follow advice given by local officials and evacuate if told to do so.”

In response, ports in Canaveral, Fernandina, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Key West, Manatee, Panama City, Sarasota, and St. Petersburg have all closed.

As too has the Port of Tampa Bay, which said it was working with federal, state, and local partners to monitor the impact of Helene, noting “as always, the Port’s priorities are safety of life, protection of the environment, and maritime commerce resiliency”.

Partial restrictions have also been imposed at the Port of Miami Dade and Georgia’s Port of Savannah, which warned its gate openings tomorrow would be delayed by two hours.

On the air side, both Miami International Airport and Atlanta Airport have been paying close attention to the unfolding situation, the former directing customers to a series of safety tips from Miami-Dade County officials, which notes the region is in a “tropical storm warning”.

In a message posted on Twitter, Atlanta Airport noted that it “has a severe weather plan in preparation for potential impacts based on the current weather forecast”.“Even if the storm has minor impacts in Atlanta, severe weather across the Southeast could impact flights,” as some forecasters warned that Helene could result in a category 4 storm, bringing winds of 130-156 miles per hour.